The Return of Thierry Mugler: Couturissime
Until April 24, 2022, you can visit the Thierry Mugler exhibition, Couturissime, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and witness the designer’s archived works ranging from fashion pieces, photographs and perfumes.
Couturissime made its first debut at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts when Mugler allowed his archived works to be showcased for the first time in 2019, now featured in Paris. Nathalie Bondil, director of the Montreal Museum, pitched the idea to Mugler as showcasing his work like an opera, with a different mood and rhythm in each room that one could experience. In an interview with the New York Times, Mugler described this idea by Bodil as, “something more fun,” than what other museums had offered. The exhibition, staged in multiple acts like a traditional opera, artistically integrates costumes, animated projections, pictures and music to create various atmospheres for the designer’s countless projects.
Today, the exhibition is live in the city of Paris, consisting of two floors of over 150 pieces of his archived works from 1970 to 2002.
The first installation consists of taking viewers on a trip to the sea with light and sound projections of water staged in the background, and live movement projections on the walls. The aquatic theme suggests an exotic realm of fantasy-inspired creatures existing in elegance.
Aquatic theme designs. Image credit: Yasmine Moriel.
Aquatic theme designs. Image credit: Yasmine Moriel.
We are then introduced to the exuberant segment of the “Insect and Chimères,” featuring realistic and mythical animals like butterflies and sea nymphs. Designed with high, piercing shoulders, exposed décolletés and fantastical hourglass waistlines from the 1997/1998 collection, the pieces vary from using velvet to colorful exhilarating wings, embroidered crystals and diamonds.
“Insect and Chimères" designs. Image credit: Yasmine Moriel.
“Insect and Chimères" designs. Image credit: Yasmine Moriel.
“Insect and Chimères" designs. Image credit: Yasmine Moriel.
The following installation consists of futuristic, robotic and aerodynamic costumes showcased in a dark room with delicate white lights. This segment of the exhibition, titled “Futuristic & Fembot Couture,” is inspired by Mugler’s desire to accentuate an individual’s power. Pulling from superheroes in science-fiction and comic books, he used industrial-inspired armor to make his costumes look high-tech. The 1990s collection also uses materials like tires, eye-pieces and photographs of models like Cara Delevingne.
"Futuristic & Fembot Couture" designs. Image credit: Yasmine Moriel.
"Futuristic & Fembot Couture" designs. Image credit: Yasmine Moriel.
The last room on the first floor introduces Mugler’s perfume collection, initially with the Angel fragrance released in 1992, followed by the male version in 1996. This section displays the different perfume bottles, including the iconic star-shaped glass bottle used in his perfume Angel.
Star bottle, Angel fragrance. Image credit: Yasmine Moriel.
Introduced on the second floor is an installation bringing homage to the many photographs Mugler shot throughout his career. Beginning photo shooting and directing his campaigns in 1976, this segment reveals an abundance of archived footage, showcased on screens, from the designer’s runway shows.
Displayed afterwards is Mugler's famed "Glamazon," highlighting the beautiful, sophisticated and modern metropolitan woman whose style was chosen in direct contrast to the flower power, hippie styles of the time, debuted in the late 1970s. His crystal masterpieces stimulate sexuality and fetishism in black and white decor, with exposed designs that blend latex and vinyl — disruptive elements that Mugler elevated to the status of classics.
"Glamazon" designs. Image credit: Yasmine Moriel.
"Glamazon" designs. Image credit: Yasmine Moriel.
"Glamazon" designs. Image credit: Yasmine Moriel.
The exhibition theatrically closes by featuring the costumes used in the 1985 production of Macbeth through a 4D multimedia showcase.
Macbeth designs. Image credit: Yasmine Moriel.
The Thierry Mugler exhibition, Couturissime, not only reveals archived works, but also lends an inside scoop into the designer’s life who, throughout his illustrious career, has changed the world of fashion and haute couture. Curated to mimic the opera experience, this unique exhibition has proved to be widely successful in Montreal, now open for viewing in Paris.
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Musée des Arts Décoratifs: 107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
Buy tickets here
